


To Be Unable to See

by Rellanka



Series: A Year Of Cloudy Skies [35]
Category: Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Which leads to Cloud having to go fetch him back, Zack enters Cloud's life one day and just doesn't leave, until he does
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-05
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:02:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24561262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rellanka/pseuds/Rellanka
Summary: Cloud is a Seer who has never failed to help his clients before. Until he meets Zack.
Relationships: Zack Fair/Cloud Strife
Series: A Year Of Cloudy Skies [35]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1697269
Comments: 11
Kudos: 201





	To Be Unable to See

Blank. Pure blankness. It wasn’t even grey or white, which might speak of an upcoming death, or black, which might speak of a life surrounded by either grief or creativity, and wasn’t it always fun figuring out which was the fate of the person in front of him. 

It was just… blank, somehow, not one shade or the other. It was Nothing. It was No Sight. 

It was something Cloud had never come across before. 

He had always been able to see, even as a young child. Then, his unknowing carelessness with his words had made him into a witch in the townsfolks eyes, and caused fear and resentment to follow him like a shadow. 

The people in the town hadn’t quite chased Cloud and his mother out with pitchforks and burning torches, but it had been a near thing. Near enough that it might have happened were it not for the friendship between Cloud’s mother and the mayor’s wife. 

They’d wondered, homeless, for **months** until Cloud’s mentor had Seen their situation and Cloud’s talent, and had hunted them down with an offer to take them in. With the catch being that the offer was only good if Cloud would allow her to Train him. 

With a lack of any other prospects for himself and his mother, Cloud had agreed, even despite his mother saying he didn’t have to. 

Elfé had been a harsh but fair teacher, and even now, when Cloud was an established Seer with a network of clients of his own, he still turned to her whenever he Saw something that he couldn’t entirely figure out the meaning of. Still relied on him to lead him down the right path when his Sight was blocked or brought only confusion. At some point she’d become like a second mother to him, and that had been all the more true after his own mother had died. 

He knew, without even trying to See what he’d do, that he was going to go to her over this. 

“So?” The voice of the man sitting in front of him sounded out with a nervous undertone, drawing Cloud’s attention from his Sight and back into the physical realm, “What exactly did you See? I’m not going to die anytime soon, am I? That is **not** a good look on your face, even though you still look super pretty, I promise. You’re practically glowing, it’s… but seriously, am I going to die? Oh, man, if I die please at least tell me I get to be a hero first.”

Cloud blinked speechlessly back at the man, half still caught up in the power of his Sight, half a little overwhelmed by the barrage of words that had been thrown at him. 

“I told you not to speak while I was trying to See, didn’t I?” He asked a little dryly, truly wondering whether he’d told this particular customer that or not. 

The other man laughed and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, “Uh, yeah, but… you really did look like something was bothering you really badly. If it’s that bad, man, just tell me so you don’t have to See it anymore. You don’t have to keep looking to try to figure out a nice way to tell me about something terrible or something, especially not if doing that’s hurting you.” 

This man (Zack, Cloud abruptly remembered) was looking at him with a genuine kindness, the likes of which Cloud rarely saw, and Cloud didn’t even have the slightest clue as to what his future would be even though Zack had come to Cloud for his help. That bothered Cloud. It bothered him more than a little. 

“It’s not that it hurt.” Cloud said, feeling like a failure as he admitted, “It’s that I didn’t See anything.”

“Didn’t See anything? Like, you mean I die really soon?” Zack asked with a furrowed brow.

Cloud shook his head in rejection of the idea, “No, I See everything. Even deaths. This isn’t that. This is… something different.” 

Zack huffed a laugh as ruffled his hair once more. 

“Angeal always said I’m a problem child.” He muttered, more to himself than to Cloud. “Figures that’d stay true now.”

He turned to Cloud then, and his next question was directed his way, “If you can’t See my future, what do you think I should do?”

Cloud frowned for a moment. He’d never answered this question without the help of his Sight before, but maybe…

“Maybe… you should do whatever makes you happy. Do what makes you happy, and keep yourself safe. I think that would be a good choice to make.” 

Zack smiled, and it was probably the most beautiful thing Cloud had ever seen, with his eyes or with his Sight.

“You know what Cloud? Angeal was right. You really do give great advice. Thanks man, I think I’m going to follow your suggestion on this.”

And with that, he was gone, springing from his chair and out the door before Cloud could even begin to think of calling him back. The gold that Zack had tossed down as he left, more than Cloud would have gotten for ten such Seeings, glimmered in Cloud’s payment dish.

So, that had been an experience. 

***

When Cloud asked Elfé why he hadn’t been able to See anything with Zack, she laughed and laughed and laughed and refused to tell him anything useful. 

So, typical Elfé when she was in one of her moods. 

He would have to ask her later and see if she’d decided to answer him by then. 

***

When he arrived in his audience room the next day to find Zack waiting for him, he paused in confusion that lasted only long enough to be noticed before Zack was bursting into explanation. 

“Hey, I’m not a client today. Just kinda hanging out. Ignore me if you want, or thank of me as some sort of guard or something. I’ll get the guys that try to skimp out on paying you, no doubt!” 

Cloud blinked back at him speechlessly. What was Zack doing here? Why had he come? Why was he, just… always so overwhelming? 

Even only knowing the man for a very short time allowed Cloud to know that Zack was _always_ like this as if the information were etched into his bones. 

“Zack, I don’t need a guard.” He pointed out dumbly. 

“Yeah, but you told me to do what made me happy, and spending time with you makes me really happy, so here I am. This is kind of your fault too, buddy.” Zack said, grinning at Cloud irrepressibly. 

“My fault-? Zack, you don’t even know me. We met yesterday. Briefly.” Cloud said incredulously. 

“Yeah, but… I don’t know.” Zack murmured, his entire countenance so incredibly soft suddenly, “…It… kind of feels like I’ve known you my whole life. Besides, I feel… warm when I’m around you. Content, like I’m exactly where I need to be. Can you blame me for wanting to stick around when I feel like that?”

“I… guess I can’t.” Cloud admitted hesitantly. 

The oddest thing was that it felt like that for Cloud too, and considering his lack of Sight when it came to Zack, and how frustrating that _should_ be, that made no sense at all. 

“Great! So it’s decided. You’ll work and I’ll keep you company when you get bored. Sounds like a perfect set up, right?” Zack said, suddenly incredibly energetic again as he rubbed his hands together. 

Cloud blinked, again feeling rather like he’d been left behind in the conversation. 

“Wait. When did we decide this?”

***

But, against all of Cloud’s best efforts, and his (rather weak) protests, Zack stayed that day. 

And the day after that. 

And the one after that. 

And more and more, until Cloud wasn’t quite sure how he’d ever existed in a day that didn’t have Zack in it. 

***

On the day that Cloud realized that, he also realized that his feelings for Zack went so much farther than friendship. 

And then he realized he was in trouble. 

***

But not quite as much trouble as he was in on the next day.

***

Zack looked nervous, and it was odd, because it was odd for Zack to look nervous. 

“Uh, hey Cloud?” Zack said, and his voice was uncertain. Another thing that he never was; at least with Cloud.

“Zack, what’s wrong?” Cloud asked. He hated that he had to. He hated that he couldn’t See what was making Zack so unlike himself, that he couldn’t fix it until Zack actually told him what was wrong. One of the many things Cloud was forced to realize while spending time with Zack was just how much he relied on his Sight while dealing with other people. It was… enlightening. 

“My parents… they’re pretty tired of me ‘avoiding my duties’ or whatever. I told them I wasn’t, that I was just taking a break, but… they kind of have a point. People depend on me, and even if I don’t want to do what they want me to do… if it’s for the good of my people, and… I kinda have to.” 

“Good… of your people?” Cloud repeated slowly.

“Uh, you know, I was gonna tell you eventually, so please don’t get mad that I didn’t before this, but... I-I’m a Prince, Cloud. And my mom and dad are the King and Queen. They want me to go back so I can start helping them rule. And so. And so I can start looking for a spouse.”

Cloud didn’t know what expression his face was making, but it couldn’t have been good. Had to have been worse, in fact, than that first fateful day with Zack. 

Because Zack continued quickly, “But I can come back. Once things settle down, I mean. I can come back and visit all the time!” 

“Zack.” Cloud said, closing his eyes. He didn’t want to see this. Not even in the physical realm. 

“If you’re leaving… Just go.” 

When he opened his eyes again, Cloud was alone. 

For once, Zack hadn’t had a word to say to Cloud.

Never had Cloud felt his solitude more keenly than he did in that moment. 

***

“He’s my soulmate, isn’t he? That’s why I can’t see him.” Cloud, miserably, asked Elfe later. 

Elfe paused, and looked at him, **really** looked at him. 

“Kid.” She finally said gently, “Those of us with the Sight, we usually live our whole lives knowing exactly what we should do, what choices we should make. But sometimes, sometimes we just have to take a chance. Sometimes we just have to do what makes us happy, and hope for the best.” 

Cloud breathed in, sharply, as the meaning of Elfe’s words hit him. 

When he breathed out he felt much lighter. 

He suddenly knew what he had to do.

***

Cloud regarded the man blocking the door in front of him calmly. He’d already Seen how this conversation was going to go, and while he was nervous about a lot of things going forward, he knew how to handle this. 

“I’ve come to ask the King and Queen permission to court the Prince.” He said to the knight politely, getting right to the point.

“Oh?” The knight said, running his eyes over Cloud’s plain-clothed form with a haughty, dismissiveness that made it clear he wasn’t going to let Cloud in that door. 

“What do you have to offer that you think the King and Queen would accept your courtship of the Prince? You’re certainly not from any royal family I know. And you don’t look as though you’ve come with gifts.” 

The knight looked so very sure of himself as he stood there. It was almost too bad Cloud was about to knock him down several pegs. 

“I brought my Sight.” Cloud said simply, and watched as the guard paled and backed away from him abruptly. 

The knight had just insulted what would likely be his future Monarch and a person with magic, and he clearly knew it by the look on his face. 

Royal families everywhere had been trying to get Seers in their bloodlines for centuries, with little success. Seers often had little interest in the bribes offered to them, and trying to force a Seer to marry into the family evoked a curse that was devastating to the family involved, and unbreakable besides. 

Cloud having the Sight meant that the King and Queen were likely to marry Zack to Cloud on the spot, if political gain and wealth were all that they cared about. 

Even if that would benefit him, Cloud hoped not for Zack’s sake. But he didn’t have any certainties. With them being so close to Zack, he’d been unable to See then either, and that made him unsure as to how this would go. There was even a slight chance that they were on the other side of the extreme, and so fearfully superstitious that they would try to burn him at a stake instead. 

Already nervous, Cloud tried not to think of that possibility for very long. 

Once inside the castle, the knight had a few terse words with a servant, before gladly leaving Cloud in the servants hands and walking away as quickly as he could. The servant looked fretfully at him like a spooked deer, hands jerking like he expected Cloud to curse him at any moment, before ushering him inside. 

And so it repeated, with Cloud being passed from servant to servant like a hot potato, until finally an announcer was declaring his presence grandly to a room of well-dressed royals, a King and a Queen, and Zack. 

Zack.

Zack was there. 

Sitting there on a raised dais, beside a well-dressed couple sitting on thrones who could only be the monarchs of this country. 

But it wasn’t Zack that moved first. 

It was his mother, presumably, standing from her throne and walking down the grand steps to meet Cloud, taking his hands in her own and clutching them gently in her grasp. 

“Cloud. It’s so wonderful to finally meet the person Zack has told us so much about. I hope-“ 

She never got to finish, because it was then that Zack was moving, was rushing down the steps and scooping Cloud into his arms. 

“Cloud, Cloud, Cloud, Cloud, Cloud.” Zack muttered repeatedly into his hair, seemingly unable to say anything else for the moment. 

“Did Kunsel just say you were here to court me? What about your work? What about the people you typically See for? What about your teacher?” Zack rambled his questions into Cloud’s hair, refusing to release Cloud from his tight embrace, even just to pull back and answer Zack’s questions. 

“Maybe,” Cloud began instead against Zack’s chest, happily melting into Zack’s hold on him and feeling no need to break the embrace, no matter the show they were giving all the people watching them (and there were a lot of people there. Enough that Cloud had a feeling that he would have been deeply embarrassed were the situation anything but this), “I followed my own advice and decided to choose what made me happy. Besides… Elfe can visit.” 

“Yeah.” Zack said, the smile in his voice coming through so crystal clear that it must have been completely overtaking his face, “Yeah, she really can. And she’ll have to, because there’s not a chance I’m letting you go now.”

And while he did, eventually, physically let Cloud go so he could be introduced to the Kingdom, he kept the meaning behind that promise for the rest of their lives.

**Author's Note:**

> I really don't know why I like fantasy/storytelling style AU's with these two so much, but I just do.


End file.
